July 16, 2024
On Friday, July 12th, Austral Fisheries had the pleasure of hosting the aquatics class from Smithfield State High School. The day was packed with educational and hands-on experiences, offering students a unique insight into the world of sustainable wild-caught seafood.
Our guests learned about the latest advancements in sustainability within the industry, including recent advancements made in Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) and Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), emphasizing the importance of responsible fishing practices. Additionally, they gained practical skills essential for life at sea, such as knot tying, splicing, and crucial safety measures including proper life jacket use and flare deployment.
The event, led by General Manager Andy Prendergast and Operations Manager Bryan Van Wyk, highlighted exciting career opportunities in the seafood industry. They guided the students through the potential career paths and skill-building opportunities available at Austral Fisheries and beyond. The highlight of the day was a comprehensive tour of our largest prawn trawler, the Austral Hunter, where fleet engineer Tony Patterson gave an exclusive engine room tour to students interested in mechanical career pathways.
Students not only engaged in career discussions but also enjoyed delicious prawn rolls and sausage sizzles, prepared by our net and fleet support experts Ronnie and Isaac.
The event successfully inspired many young minds to consider a future at sea, equipped with new knowledge, skills and understanding.
“This is an excellent experience for these students who have undoubtedly got a lot of today”. – Charmaine Hard, Aquatics teacher
“Due to the busy nature of our work, we don’t get the opportunity to tell our story and connect with students very often so I’m glad we could show them what Austral Fisheries is all about”. – Bryan Van Wyk
Austral Fisheries is committed to the development of a sustainable workforce for the commercial fishing industry. We regularly host and deliver incursion and excursion experiences to local schools in an effort to educate young people about where their seafood comes from and what sustainable fishing means. For more information, contact [email protected].